Sod cutter



M. LlNT son CUTTER May 2, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 10, 1947 INVENTOR. [131% e Z1225 Wai 7 6% May 2, 1950 M. LlNT 2,506,371

SOD CUTTER Filed Nov. 10, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

f/ef/e Z1226 M. LINT SOD CUTTER May 2, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 10, 1947 INVENTOR.

[Verie Zz'zzf BY W 0365;

Patented May 2, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

SOD CUTTER Merle Lint, San Diego, Calif.

Application November 10, 1947, Serial No. 784,973

3 Claims. (Cl. 97-226) My invention contemplates and provides an implement unit of simple and rugged construction which effectively and efliciently may be manipulated by one man to cut strips of sod from lawns and golf course greens and fairways, etc. Two or more men, or one or more men and a horse or horses or tractor, have been essential to the satisfactory employment of all prior unitary sod cutters which have come to my attention.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a simple and sturdy sod cutter unit which is capable of effective easy operation by one man.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a sod cutter unit of the kind mentioned in the immediately preceding paragraph which economically may be manufactured and maintained serviceable and which readily is adjustable to cut sods of different thicknesses.

Characteristic of my new sod cutter unit, and responsible for its success as a one man operated implement, is a certain hereinafter described novel relationship between two rollers, a generally U-shaped knife, a pair of handles and a kick plate. e

Other features, objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow wherein reference is made to the three accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my new sod cutter as it appears when about to initiate the incisions necessary to the cutting of a strip of sod;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of my sod outter as it appears while being propelled forwardly to cut a sod strip of predetermined depth;

' Fig. 3 is a top plan view of my sod cutter with certain parts broken away to reveal parts therebeneath;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view, on reduced scale, of

the sod cutter;

Fig. 5 is a developed view of the knife element of my sod cutter as such knife element would appear in plan if all of its parts were caused to occupy the same horizontal plane; and

.Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view,

taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3, of one of the bearings for one of the two rollers of the sod cutter. 1 In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 certain parts have been broken away to conserve space in illustration. Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The sod cutter of my invention preferably comprises a pair of parallel spaced-apart vertically disposed side plates l0-|0; each such side plate comprising an intermediate portion l0'a having a straight and normally horizontal lower edge II, end portions Iflb and lllc which incline upwardly, fore and aft respectively, away from such edge H, and an upwardly and rearwardly inclined extension lflcl for a purpose presently to appear.

The forward end portions I 0bl0b of the side plates Iii-40 are connected by a spacer rod l2 having reduced threaded extremities which extend through plates H) to cooperate with nuts I3--| 3; the intermediate portions Illa of the plates are connected by the hereinafter discussed U-shaped knife; and the side plate-extensions IQd-lfld are connected by the hereinafter discussed kick bar; to the end that the side plates I0l0 and their associated elements may constitute a rigid and desirably light sod cutter unit.

At I4 and [5 are shown rollers which extend, respectively, between the front end portions Hlb-Itlb and the rear end portions l9cl0c of the side plates. Each of the rollers desirably comprises a shaft l6 having its ends disposed in bearings ll-ll which underlie the adjacent upwardly inclined lower edges of the side plates and are welded or otherwise suitably secured to the lower ends of bars I 8l 8 which are disposed against the outer faces of the side plates I 0-l 0 and are firmly adjustably held thereagainst by bolts H) which extend through selected appropriate registering apertures Zlland 2| in the side plates and such bars respectively. Preparatory to cutting comparatively thick sod, the bearings l1l'l of the two rollers I 4 and I5 are placed substantially as shown in the drawings; when thinner sod is to be cut, the bearings for the rollers are adjusted to and secured at positions which are lower with respect to the plates l!il0.

Connecting the intermediate portions Illa-40a of the side plates, and depending substantially below the lower edges I l-l l thereof, is a generally U-shaped knife 22. Knife 22 comprises a pair of parallel plate-like end portions 2211-2211 which are disposed against the inner faces of the intermediate portions Ina-40a of the side plates and are provided in their upper surfaces with notches 22b 22b for cooperation with bolts 23-23 which extend through the side plates at positions closely adjacent to the lower edges H-Il thereof. The lower edges of the platelike end portions 2211-4211 of the knife are joined by an integral bar-like horizontal portion 220 which has its fore and aft edges disposed obliquely to the side plates Ill-J; each of such fore and aft edges of the knife portion 220 and the adjacent edges of the knife portions 22a--22a being sharpened as indicated at 24, 25 and 2B, and at 24', 25' and 26'. When the sharpened edges 24, 25 and 26 of the knife, being the edges which are presented forwardly, become dull, the knife is bodily reversible, with respect to the side plates, to present forwardly the sharpened edges 24', 25' and 2B.

Carried by side plates rearwardly and upwardly therefrom are the handle attachment bars 27-21. The forwardior lower ends of these handle attachment bars 21-4? are secured to the exteriors of intermediate portions Illa-Illa of the side plates by bolts 28-28. Such handle attachment bars 2l2l also are secured to the portions l9dl0d of the side plates by bolts 29-29 which extend through holes in. :such bars 21-2? and side plate portions Md-710d which register'with'holes inthe wedgeshapeclen'ds'of the kickbar presently to be dis- ;cussed and with holes in the handles 39-38 which preferably are provided" with" suitable hand gripportions 3II3l. Handles 38-39 desirably 'arerformed iof wood-and are additionally secured to the bars 2i2'i by bolts 32-42.

At :33is depicted akick plate which extends horizontally betweeirthe' handle attachment bars :21-21 andiis provided with wedge-shaped end portions Met-33a. Each ofthese wedge-shaped :ien'd portions -:33a.-33a lies between one of the plate portions l fidiand the adjacent handle attachment bar 21 and is provided with-a hole for cooperation withone of thebolts 29 as previously explained.

The preciselocat-ion anddispo'sition of the kick .plate33 with'respect to the other components of the sod cutter is important. It is so located and -disposed that '(a) it lies substantially directly over the knife 22, with its foot engageable surface occupying a plane-only slightly inclinediif at all totheihorizontal, when'theiso'd cutterJ-is up-tilted at its 'rear tobe supported by roller l4 and knife "22 upon a turf from which'sod is to becut, and (blit lies above the roller l5, and-substantially behind-the knife22, with its foot engageable surface occupying a plane inclined atzsubstantially 45degrees to the horizontal when the sod cutter 'isbeing supported by both of the rollers upon a turf from which sod is being cutas'the result of -fonward movement'of the sod cutter.

A single operator, in utilizing the sod cutter of my' invention to cut a strip 'ofsod from' any. suitable turf, proceeds as follows: With "the side plates iiiextending in the direction of the strip of "sod to be cut, the sod cutterisLup-tilted at'its rear end so that'it issupported upon the turf by the-roller l d and the knife'EZ. as illustrated in Fig. 1. Then, with his hands grasping the handle portions 3l-3l,'the operator places one foot-uponthe kick plate 33andlpresses it'firnily downwardly to cause the forwardly presented sharpened edges oi the'knife to enter-the'turf. The-knife, turning about the axis ofroller l4, eventually reaches the position depicted in Fig. 2, at which time the roller also rests uponLthe "turf'from whichth'e sodis to be out. 'A strip 'of sod is then cut from the turf by propelling the sod cutter forwardly with the aid of handles 36. the kick plate being employed whenever require'd'to supplement the propelling'efiort which the operator exerts through the handles iii).

thesod cutter thus travels over the turf, the

lll-l ll and diverging strip of sod being severed from the turf is undercut by the forwardly presented sharpened edge of the knife part 220 and has its longitudinal edges severed from the adjacent turf by the forwardly presented edges of the knife parts 22u22a.

Having thus illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A sod cutter, for operation by the hands and one foot of one man, comprising in combination: a frame; handle means connected with and extending upwardly and rearwardly from the frame in all operating positions of the frame; fore and aft supporting rollers carried by and extending horizontally transversely of the frame; a generally U-shaped knife located between the rollers and extending transversely of the frame with the web portion of theknife lying substantially lowerthan the rollers when the rollers areboth riding upon a level turf, the leg vportions of said U-shaped knife extending upwardly from its web portion to the frame for securement thereto, said web portion having a forwardly presented edge adapted to undercut a sod strip and said leg portions having forwardly presented edges adaptedto sever such astrip'from adjacent turf; an elongated kick plate located rearwardly of the knife, and above both rollers in all operating positions of the frame and fixedrelatively to !the frame, said kick plate occupyinga plane thatis inclined forwardlyand upwardly when both rollers are riding upon level turf; the vertical and horizontal distances between the lowermost portion of the front roller and the forwardly presented edge of the web portion of the knife, and the vertical and horizontal distances between the'kick plate and such forwardly presented edge of the 'web portion of the knife, being so related when both rollers are ridingupon level turf that any straight line extending through the rear edgeof the kick plate and at right angles to the plane of the kick plate also passes in front of the forwardly presented edge of the web portion of'theknife and behind the turf engaging portion of the'front roller, and so related when the frameis rearwardly uptilted to be carried on level turf by the front roller and the knife that the kick plate is located substantially directly above the knife and any straight line extending through the rear edge of the kick plate at right angles to the plane of the kick plate passes in front of the forwardly presented edge of the web portion of the knife and behind the turf engaging portion of the front roller.

2. A sod cutter as recited 'in claim 1 wherein the frame comprises a pair of parallel spaced apart vertically disposed side plates and :the handle means comprises a pair of handle attachment bars each having one end thereof secured to the exterior surface of one of the side plates and diverging from such surface to extend upwardly and rearwardly from the side plate, and the'kick plate is provided with wedge shaped end portions, each of said wedge shaped end portions being disposed and secured between one of the handle attachment bars and the side plate from which such bar diverges.

3. A sodcutter, for operation by the hands and one'foot of one man, comprising in combination: a frame; handle means connected with and extending upwardly and rearwardly from the frame in all operating positions of the frame; fore-and aft supporting rollers carried by and extending 5 horizontally transversely of the frame; a generally U-shaped knife located between the rollers and extending transversely of the frame with the web portion of the knife lying substantially lower than the rollers when the rollers are both riding upon a level turf, the leg portions of said U- shaped knife extending upwardly from its web portion to the frame for securement to the frame, said web portion having a forwardly presented edge adapted to undercut a sod strip and said leg portions having forwardly presented edges adapted to sever such a strip from adjacent turf; an elongated kick plate located rearwardly of the knife and fixed relatively to the frame, said kick plate occupying a plane that is inclined forwardly and upwardly when both rollers are riding upon level turf; said kick plate being located substantially directly above the rear roller when both r011- ers are riding upon level turf and being located substantially directly above the forwardly presented edge of the web portion of the knife when the frame is rearwardly uptilted to be supported on level turf by the front roller and the knife, whereby initial penetration of a turf by the knife adjacent turf.

MERLE LINT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 45,926 Kirk Jan. 17, 1865 549,730 Lane Nov. 12, 1895 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 110,527 Australia May 16, 1940 

